January 27, 2012

Between the Seas Festival of Mediterranean performing arts invites submissions to its second edition (August 20-26th 2012 at the Wild Project)

Between the Seas Festival of Mediterranean Performing arts is excited to announce an open call for submissions in the fields of dance, theater and music from performing artists of the Mediterranean and Mediterranean diaspora as well as artists with a working interest in the Mediterranean region. The festival, which aims at promoting contemporary Mediterranean culture and encouraging exchange between Mediterranean and US-based artists, is interested in programming short or full length formats, works in progress or full productions, new or previously staged performances, original works and adaptations. The deadline for submissions is March 1st 2012. For more information and to access the submissions guidelines please visit http://www.betweentheseas.org.

In its first edition in August 2011 Between the Seas presented 14 artists, including two NYC and two US premieres, and performances representing Morocco, France/Algeria, Egypt, Israel, US, Greece, Canada, Italy and Spain. The Festival is produced by Les Manouches Theater under the artistic direction of Aktina Stathaki. The Wild Project theater that will host the festival for the second time is a beautiful 87- seat black box theater, with state of the art facilities, eco-friendly, located in the beautiful and vibrant neighborhood of the East Village in the heart of New York City.
For inquiries and information please contact: lesmanouchestheatre@gmail.com

June 26, 2011

Between the Seas festival is looking for designers and lighting/sound technicians to work as technical production staff during the festival (August 29th to Sept. 4th 2011). While this is a non-paid position, it is a great opportunity to meet and work with NY and international artists and get hands on experience in a demanding professional performance setting. We are looking for people who will be interested in our mission and enthusiastic to support us in our inaugurate edition and with whom we can build long-term collaborations.

We need:
– 2 lighting designers/board operators, that will work closely with the invited companies, assist with their lighting needs and operate the lighting board during the shows. Experience in design and previous work in a festival setting is highly desirable.
-2 sound board operators to work closely with the performers and musicians, help with all their sound needs and operate the board during shows. Experience working with concert artists is required.
-2 technical directors to overview all production needs and work and be the point of contact between artists, technical staff and the festival organizers. The position is ideal for someone with enough technical experience who wants to take the next step into technical direction.

The successful candidates will be resourceful, able to think quickly and come up with ideas and solutions and work within the time and technical restrictions of a festival setting.
For theater technical specifications please visit: http://www.thewildproject.com/rentals/index.shtml
For more information and to submit a brief cover letter and resume please email lesmanouchestheatre@gmail.com
To find out about the festival visit http://www.betweentheseas.org

March 29, 2011

We have received an overwhelming response by artists in Greece, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, USA, Canada, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Spain and more! As a result we have decided to extend the submissions deadline to April 10th, 2011 to allow more artists more time to send us their work. Keep the submissions coming, there’s extraordinary material and we’re so excited to find out about it! The call for submissions is here.

March 14, 2011

Join us on Friday March 18th at 8pm for a staged reading of our new adaptation of Albert Camus’ The Stranger. This is the first presentation of a work in progress followed by a talk back session. Your feedback will be valuable as we continue developing the work. See “upcoming performances” for more info.

January 25, 2011

Between the Seas Festival is now inviting submissions for artistic performances and scholarly papers from emerging and established artists, researchers and academic practitioners. The deadline for submissions is March 30th 2011. Please see below for information and submission guidelines in each category.

PERFORMANCE

We invite full and short length works, fully developed or works in progress, original or previously presented, in the fields of theater, dance and music. Selected applicants will perform alongside a group of curated artists in a total of approximately 15 different performances during one week. Some of the themes that the works may address are:

-Mediterranean identity/ies: Works that explore or are inspired by life, identities and histories in or across Mediterranean societies

-Living in-between: Works exploring or inspired by diasporic Mediterranean identities

-Contemporary works and adaptations: Performances of existing and new works by contemporary Mediterranean playwrights/choreographers/composers. Adaptations or new interpretations of the classics in ways that highlight contemporary Mediterranean realities or explore new aesthetic, techniques and interpretive models emerging in the region.

Submission Guidelines for Performances:

Please submit

– A brief cover letter explaining your interest in the festival

– A detailed project description [not longer than 3 pages]. Please specify your technical needs. We advise you to keep your technical requirements very simple as all performances will be staged in the same theater space using the general festival lighting plot. [To find out more about the theater space and its technical specs, please visit: http://www.thewildproject.com]

– Work samples [photos, script experts, video samples of past work or of previous presentations of the proposed project]

– Resumes of the primary artists involved and company information

– A non-refundable application fee of $50 [USD]. The application fee can be paid online on our website or by check – please visit www.betweentheseas.org

All applicants will be notified of the results by May 15th 2011. Selected applicants will be required to pay a $300 participation fee to offset the cost of space rental and publicity [selected applicants will be notified of payment deadlines and details].

Artists will receive:

-A minimum of two performances of their work during the festival week in a fully equipped theater. Festival participants must provide their own cast, crew and technical staff- we do not produce individual shows.

-Approximately four hours of rehearsal time in the space.

-Inclusion in all of the festival’s publicity and promotion materials

-50% of the box office earnings from the performances of their work. [The Wild Project is a 87-seat theater and ticket prices will range between $10-$20].

CONFERENCE PAPERS

Adjacent to the main festival, this mini-conference seeks to bridge academic research with performance practice, provide the theoretical framework for the festival and engage the audiences in a broader discussion of the various parameters of Mediterranean history and identity and how it has been shaped over time. The conference will be organized in thematic panels held in different days during the duration of the festival.

We invite short papers [15-20 minutes] by researchers, graduate students and academic practitioners from across the Humanities and particularly from the areas of: Performing and Visual Arts; Cinema Studies; Comparative Literature; Cultural Studies; Mediterranean, European and Middle Eastern Studies; Diaspora Studies; Postcolonial Studies; History, Political and Social Sciences; Classics. Themes that the papers may address include but are not limited to:

-Transcultural exchanges in the Mediterranean region from antiquity to present: historical connections in the region; transculturalism: arts, food, religion, environment, customs and social practices, commerce; contemporary policies and exchanges.

-Beyond the Mediterranean: Diasporic Mediterranean identities and their representations; immigrations from/to the Medieterranean; European Union and the Mediterranean.

Submission Guidelines for Conference Participants

Please submit:

-A 250-word abstract

-Author’s resume

Applicants will be notified by May 15th 2011.

While the festival cannot guarantee at this time financial support for out- of-town and international applicants, we will make any effort to assist applicants with their travel arrangements and whenever possible with their costs. However we strongly encourage international applicants to start looking for funding resources through institutions and sponsors in their countries early on. Feel free to contact the organizers at lesmanouchestheatre@gmail.com for advice and information.

Deadline for performance and paper applications: March 30th 2011. Application materials can be emailed to lesmanouchestheatre@gmail.com [please indicate PERFORMANCE or PAPER submission in the subject line] or sent by mail to the following address:

January 19, 2011

Les Manouches are looking for a Development Consultant to lead our fundraising campaign for Between the Seas Festival. This is an excellent opportunity for a young professional with the ability and interest to design and implement development strategies in the areas of individual and corporate giving and become instrumental in the growth of a young, ambitious organization.

Qualifications:

-Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in the arts, arts management or related field

-Previous experience in fundraising for the arts

-Excellent computer skills

-Excellent writing, oral and communication skills

– A self starter with the ability to work independently

-A team player with a sense of humor

A special interest in the festival’s mission is desired but not essential.

The selected applicant will be expected to devote approximately 2O hours/week at a flexible schedule. Fee commensurate with experience.

Please email cover letter and resume to lesmanouchestheatre@gmail.com

We are also seeking a marketing and publicity intern to assist the festival organizers with the promotion of the festival. The position is ideal for a graduate student or young professional with an interest in building up their experience in marketing and publicity for the arts. The selected applicant will get very closely involved in the development of our marketing campaign, will have the opportunity to get a hands on experience in all aspects of marketing and publicity, and will be encouraged to propose and implement new ideas. We are looking for a candidate with the potential to grow into a long-term collaborator.

Duties include but are not limited to:

-Assist in drafting and proofreading press releases.

-Research marketing and publicity opportunities

-Assist in designing marketing materials

-Follow and update social media and blog

-Data compiling and filing

Qualifications:

-Graduate student or recent graduate in the fields of performing arts, arts management, marketing or related field

-A passion for non-profit arts and an interest in an arts management career

-Excellent writing, oral and communication skills

-Computer designing skills

-An enthusiastic team player

-Ability to take initiative and work independently

A passion for the festival’s mission and familiarity with Mediterranean cultures is highly desired.

The selected applicant will be expected to devote approximately 10 hours per week at a flexible schedule. This is a non-paying internship.

November 2, 2010

With the support of a Lab 101 Grant from the La Guardia Performing Arts Center Les Manouches will be in residency at the Center’s Little Theater in March 2011. During our residency we will be working on an original adaptation of Albert Camus’ The Stranger which will culminate in a workshop performance [unfortunately our initial project to mount Brian Friel’s Molly Sweeney had to be postponed due to rights-related obstacles]. Many thanks to LPAC for this great opportunity!

September 1, 2010

We are looking for Mediterranean based artists/writers/culture fans who are interested in contributing to the Between the Seas blog with bi-weekly culture news from their parts of the world. Submissions may include: reviews, interviews, news and articles, updates on cultural policies and initiatives. Following the festival’s mission, the blog will contribute to create a platform of exchange between Mediterranean and New York based artists and audiences. For more information please contact lesmanouchestheatre@gmail.com

August 19, 2010

Between the Seas is an initiative that aims to bring together performing artists from the Mediterranean and Mediterranean diaspora, explore Mediterranean cultural identity, its historical connections, commonalities and differences and share with New York audiences the vibrancy of contemporary Mediterranean cultural production.

In anticipation of Between The Seas festival that will be organized in 2011, we are hosting an evening of staged readings that will give the opportunity to NY based artists to connect, share their work and interests and exchange projects and ideas. The event will take place on Monday October 18th, 6-10 pm at Solas [232 East 9th str].

We are inviting proposals for staged readings by writers, directors and theater companies. We are looking for: new plays by contemporary Mediterranean playwrights [preferably that have not been staged in NY before]; new plays by US-based playwrights that engage in various ways with Mediterranean culture and identity; short stories by Mediterranean writers that artists are interested in adapting for the stage.

We welcome short or full-length plays, and script still in progress.

Please submit: resume, a brief cover letter and a 10-page sample of the script. Deadline: September 20th. Email your materials to lesmanouchestheatre@gmail.com